The Ties that Bind us
by COWSARECOOL
Summary: InoSaku SasuNaru. Two woman born on the same day, are tied together by fate in the midst of political upheaval. Ino, to avenge her family, disguises herself as a man and becomes a Samurai-giving up hope on ever falling in love. But she never forgot Sakura, the girl from her childhood that her mother told her she was fated to be with forever, even as she was sold to a Geisha house.
1. A Set Future

"_Do not be afraid; our fate_

_Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift." _

― _Dante Alighieri, Inferno_

In the mountains the proud Yamanaka clan lives quietly…at least they usually do. Today, the peace of the clan home is disturbed by ceiling shaking screams of pain. Curses fly wildly, most pertaining to castration of a particular husband of hers...anyone who could here the words coming from the Yamanaka's birthing room would never believe her to be the quiet, demure housewife they knew…or, well that was who they thought she was anyways. Everyone except her husband of course—he knew the truth. She was headstrong, with a mean slap and a commanding presence over him…and he loved her more than anything. And now he would, hopefully, have a child exactly like her which he could cherish just as much.

He, Inoichi Yamanaka, was going to be a father…and he was terrified.

Terrified that she would die, terrified that his child might die, terrified of a future without either of them. They had tried for so long, had tried to have a child, and each time…each time they had died. Four times now over the past seven years, and none of his children had lived. But his wife was strong, and this time…this time he just had this _feeling_. Like everything would be okay.

Or at least that was what he'd been telling himself repeatedly for the last three hours he'd stood beside the door to the birthing room.

He closed his green eyes and swallowed heavily as another scream erupted from behind the sliding screen door of which he leaned against. Clenching the cloth of the black Hakama he wore, he told himself to resist the urge to peek inside the room…he had a feeling he'd be irreparably scarred if he did that.

An even louder, straining, scream almost made him reconsider this but then…then there was silence.

His eyes snapped open and he quickly rose from his place beside the door, his legs aching from the long period of time spent in the traditional _seiza_. He didn't have to wait long for the door to slide open, and then there in front of him stood the midwife and his long time friend, Tsunade. She looked startled that he was still there, directly outside the room, but then her eyes warmed and she quickly bowed as she made way for him. He barely paid her a glance before he was rushing past her to crowd the bed his wife lay in.

"Inoichi! Give her some space; she just went through three hours of labor for Kami's sake!" Tsunade huffed in annoyance.

But Inoichi couldn't hear her. All he could see was the beautiful sight of his wife, glowing and with a tired but amazed smile on her face, holding his newly born child. He put a shaking hand on the babies small head, laughing in unadulterated joy as the child's blue eyes—as blue as her mother's; so strong, beautiful, alive—opened to look straight up at him. His wife's head leaned against his shoulder as tears silently made their way down her face, identical to his own.

"Inoichi…" He looked towards his wife, kissing her cheek, her forehead, her smiling lips, "It's a girl…"

She looked a little hesitant when she told him, but he was quick to assuage her fears with more kisses. "A girl…a beautiful perfect little girl!"

"But…but Inoichi…I may not have another child…what about an heir? What about the clan?"

He shushed her as he pressed his forehead to hers, "I don't need my child to be a boy to love it. She will be as cunning and strong as her mother…that is all I need."

She wanted to say more, wanted to voice all her fears for her child's future…but she couldn't find in within herself to do anything except revel in this happiness she felt.

Four children. Four children dead and buried and—and now…finally _finally_ they had a child—a perfect beautiful child.

The midwife Tsunade—the best in the land of fire, and friend to Inoichi for as longer than he could remember—smiled at the couple from the doorway. She nearly felt tears of her own form at the scene, wishing that she too could find such happiness again one day…

* * *

"Hiromi! Where are you—wait, it's much too soon to be—!"

"Inoichi, enough! It's been two weeks since I had our child, I'm fine! And besides, I've been stuck in this place since I was seven months pregnant because you _wouldn't let me leave_! I _can't_ spend another minute in this household, I _have _to do something…or I swear husband I will go crazy. And you _won't _like it…trust me."

"But what about Ino? What if she gets hungry or…or has to—oh _kami_—what if she well…you know…"

"Husband…are you seriously telling me you're scared of changing a _diaper_?"

"No! No…well…well maybe a little…"

She sighed. She really had just wanted _a little_ time to herself but…Ino really wasn't old enough to—no! No she was getting out of this house dammit!

"Hiromi? Hiromi, what are you…wait, you can't take her _with_ you!"

"…and why not?"

"…"

"…Well?"

"…"

Sigh…

"…I'm leaving. And stop being so overprotective!"

* * *

The streets were filled with vendors already, despite the early hour, but the crowd was exactly what Hiromi wanted. She needed the street dust in her eyes, the smell of cooking food (_not _made by her for once) wafting from outdoor ramen shops, the loud bartering at every stall and general feel of _activity._ She'd been sitting around doing nothing for too long, and she'd been feeling increasingly anxious to get to the market and see her friend.

Ino gurgled on her shoulder, watching with wide eyed wonder at all the colors and sounds and smells of the market place. She smiled at passer-byers, who in turn smiled back with little waves or a bow before going back to selling their wares. Some stopped to congratulate her, ask about her health and her child's health. They complimented and compliment—"Such a beautiful girl, just like her mother. And that _smile_." "She has Lord Yamanaka's smile, she does. She'll make a fine heir one day, no doubt."—and Hiromi basked in pride for her Ino. Her worries weren't assuaged completely however…just because she had a beautiful healthy child—with a smile that lit up a room, and keen intelligence already appearing in her eyes—did not mean that the elders of the clan would except her as easily as the towns people did. A woman heir was extremely rare, and such a path would not be easy for their daughter if she decided to take it—and Hiromi would make sure she had a say in the matter; they weren't going to force their daughter into anything without her first knowing the consequences—and even if she did become heir…well she would definitely be met with a lot of opposition. Their family had always had a foot into military affairs, the heir especially—usually as a high ranking Samurai in the Imperial army, as Inoichi was and his father and grandfather before him—and with a female heir…well, it was impossible for Ino to become a samurai. It was taboo. Forbidden.

Females were allowed three distinct professions; Medical, Merchant, and 'Entertainment.' To be the head of a house hold was one thing…but to be a warrior as well? No. No, it would _never_ happen. It was against the law, and if she was found out…

Death.

It was what she feared most of all in her life. To lose another child…she wasn't sure if she could take it.

"Hiromi-sama! It's good to see you out of the house again, it's been too long!" The call brought the woman out of her thoughts to realize she'd stopped at a little display of Kanzashi. She smiled immediately at the dark pink haired woman who'd called out to her."

"Naomi-chan." She grabbed the now standing woman in front of her in greeting. "It's so good to see you."

They shared a warm familiar look before Hiromi's eyes glance to her back, meeting the curious green eyes of gurgling baby. "Hello there! Well, aren't you just a cutie!"

Naomi giggled but it seemed sadder than it usually did, looking over her friends shoulder as well. "I heard you had a daughter as well, Hiromi-sama. Just two weeks ago and already out in the markets again?"

Hiromi scoffed, "You too? Two weeks is _plenty_ enough time to recover. Besides, Inoichi would barely let me out of the house for anything other than the simplest of errands for three months before I went into labor! Ugh, I felt like a caged bird."

"Hiromi-sama, you know he was only thinking of your and the child's health. Don't be too hard on him…most husbands wouldn't take the time to care so much…"

"…Yes. Yes, of course I know that Naomi-chan. I'm sorry." She swallowed at that, feeling terrible now. She had no right to complain in front of this woman—even if it was just in a teasing way—that had gone through so much more than her. She'd known her for several years now, and was reminded every time they met of how lucky she had gotten when she married an honest, loyal, and loving man such as Inoichi. If fates had been different…she wasn't sure she would have the courage to be as strong as Naomi Haruno was.

"There's nothing to apologize for Hiromi-sama, and—If it means anything—I'm glad to see you here again; and not just because you are my wealthiest customer either." She gave a laugh and squeezed her friend's hands with a strength that betrayed her fragile appearance. "I've missed you, Hiromi-sama…"

She'd missed her as well. Even if the weekly visits were the only times they saw each other, she'd missed the easy camaraderie they'd shared at those times and the little jokes about life and marriage had given her a sense of friendship she hadn't had since a child.

"I've missed you too. Even with as wonderful a husband as Inoichi is, he isn't a woman who I can talk to about…well, woman things." They shared a laugh at the memories of Inoichi's quick escapes from the Kanzashi stall whenever he and his wife stopped at it, terrified of getting stuck there listening to them 'prattle on about flowers and hair-pins and the newest promiscuous love triangles in the neighborhood' as he liked to say.

Finally, they separated and Naomi went to sit behind her laid out display as Hiromi took a look. Handmade silk flowers stitched into perfect chrysanthemum, plum and Sakura petals or decorative maple leaves with delicate silver loops curving through them. Dangling little blossoms from ornate blooming flowers trailing nearly 20 inches down, or a toothed comb heaped with red ochre flowers and embroidered with gold silk and one inlaid pearl white bead. Maybe a dozen Kanzashi were arranged neatly on the covered ground where she sold her wares, all neatly made and perfectly beautiful. Naomi was one of the best Kanzashi makers in the Land of Fire and, if not for her husband and his constant gambling and prostitutes and general stupidity for anything having to do with economics, then she may have been as rich—if not richer—than the Yamanaka clan.

She trailed her finder tips along the five tiny metal bells that hung from the dangling lines of pale peach and pink petals of one particular Kanzashi. "Is this a new one?"

Naomi looked surprised for a moment, but hid it quickly, "Yes. In fact, I just put that one out today; only minutes before your arrival."

"It's beautiful…"

"It's the second one I've made, actually." She said, gaining Hiromi's attention, "The first was for my daughter, but then it came out so beautifully I decided to make another one that was similar."

"Similar but not the same?"

Naomi nodded, and pulled a long box from the cloth bag beside her. She set it next to the Kanzashi Hiromi had admired, opening it to reveal a slightly differently colored one but of similar design and beauty.

"I keep it with me at all times now. I don't want my Husband selling it in one his gambling sprees. It was made for her, my daughter, and I want it to stay that way. And well…the reason I made the second one was so he wouldn't notice this one missing but…well, that's really only what I told myself afterwards."

"What do you mean?"

"I…don't know really. It's just…both of these Kanzashi feel so precious to me for some reason. I made this second one not only because the first had turned out so well but because I felt I _had _to, and at the time I really didn't think much on why I was making it at all only that it felt right. It felt like I had to do it—like I couldn't stop until both were finished. Honestly…it frightened me a little, that I could have so little control over what I was doing and no understanding as to _why _I was doing it at all."

Hiromi had no response to that, so she instead looked to the two Kanzashi with amazement. They looked so perfect next to each other, like a set that should never be apart.

The two sets lay parallel to each other, the one with dark pink Sakura blossoms and white and peachy Plum flowers still lying in the dark box Naomi had hidden it in. The other had identical Plum flowers but with pink salmon colored chrysanthemums nestled there beside it instead of Sakura blossoms, giving it less of a contrast but a brighter feel to it. Both had long trailing lines of pale peach and pink petals on their Hana Kanzashi's, and nestled in the center of both the long-pieces and the small comb-like ones there lay one finely embroidered sun of golden thread, from which one gleaming white pearl stood. Attached at the top of the gold suns were clusters of deep red ochre beads that hid the thick pin on which a bright yellow silk butterfly flew.

They captivated her.

"Naomi-chan…when did you say you had your daughter?"

"Hmm…about two weeks ago, on the 28th of March. Why Hiromi-sama?"

"I…That's…" Hiromi was speechless for a moment, surprise lifting her gaze from the beautiful set, "That's the same day I had Ino…"

"R-really?" Naomi placed a hand to her lips, thinking back a moment, "It was dark when I had Sakura, exactly midnight…did you…?"

"Yes." She said with amazement, "Exactly midnight..."

"How…odd. To think that such a coincidence could happen…"

"No." Hiromi grabbed Naomi's hand, which had been fingering a Sakura blossom on her daughters future Kanzashi, "I don't think it was coincidence Naomi-chan. I think its Fate."

"…Fate."

"Yes. I…ever since Ino has been born, I've been so _frightened._ She will be the first female heir to the Yamanaka clan, and the future my daughter will have to endure because of that…I was afraid of it. Afraid of so many things, but mainly that she wouldn't be _happy_, that she'd be lonely and that she'd meet her future alone with no one beside her. No one to hear herfears like Inoichi has done for me…but now, as I look down at these two Kanzashi, I feel that fear dissipate. I don't know why or how, but I feel like our daughters are fated to be together. To be _tied_ somehow, together like the silk butterfly and its flower. I feel like now I know she won't meet the fate I've feared since her birth…"

"Hiromi-chan…it's just a birth day. Nothing more." Her friends' voice was oddly hard when she said this.

"No, no it is fate. I'm sure of it." She stared hard into Naomi's eyes, trying to make her understand. "I didn't tell Inoichi but…when I was pregnant I felt this undeniable _urge_ to come to this market and find you. I would have dreams, of blades and death and Sakura trees in the spring…and of these two Kanzashi in our daughters hair."

"Hiromi-sama...you're mistaken, you couldn't have seen such a thing. Maybe you should return to Inoichi-sama and rest...I think it really was too early to leave the household."

"NO, no I'm not crazy Naomi-chan! I couldn't remember until I saw them, but I'm sure now that they are the ones that have been haunting my dreams for months." She gave a great sigh at her admission, breathing deeply and giving a small laugh, "Now, finally, I don't feel afraid of the future. I feel like everything will be alright now, because they'll have each other. They will meet the fate given to them together, whatever it is."

"Even if that fate is in Konoha's _Hanamachi_, Hiromi-sama?"

The softly spoken words cut through her like a knife. She stared at Naomi speechless, her mouth agape. Naomi gave a bitter laugh at the reaction.

"…Konoha's _Hanamachi_…you mean he's going to—?"

"That's right. He plans to sell her off to the Okiya there once she turns seven." Naomi swiftly shut the lid of the box that held the Hana Kanzashi, and stuffed it into the cloth bag once again. A bitter mix of sadness, resignation and anger clouded her actions. "He wanted a son. One that could do work, take over the farm...and instead he got a girl. And girls can only be useful by selling themselves off, so he can keep gambling! When I first had her...he wanted to smother her in the sands with opium...sometimes I cant stop laughing when I realize that the Geisha house may actually be the better end of the deal!"

"Naomi...Naomi-chan I'm so sorry..." Hiromi felt her chest tighten as she looked at the bright green eyes that peeked over Naomi's shoulder, looking up at her with innocent incomprehension. Oblivious to the fact that she would be ripped away from her mother, her home, her life all because of that awful man she would call father. "Perhaps...perhaps he will change his mind. He might grow to love her Naomi-chan, I mean, how could he not? She's beautiful..."

"Being beautiful would not make it better, only worse!" She swallowed heavily at the implication, "And I know better than to think he can love anything except his drink and his cards..."

Her shoulders slumped, her whole posture filled with resignation for her daughters fate, and yet Hiromi still could not feel fear for the child. She could not shake this feeling that everything would be alright, as long as they had each other. And they would. They would find each other in the end, she was sure of it.

"Is your dream of the future so beautiful now? Knowing my daughter is being sold into servitude, do you still think they are _fated_?"

"…Yes."

She gave an angry scoff, but Hiromi saw the tears in her eyes. "Always so _stubborn._"

A small weak smile, "…I know."

A moment of silence passed, and then Hiromi traced a finger around the Kanzashi that seemed so lonely without its counterpart. "I want to buy this one. For Ino."

Naomi sighed, but began to wrap the set as Hiromi passed her the money. She gave her the wrapped Kanzashi and whispered, a little brokenly,

"I'm sorry Hiromi-sama, but a Geisha—if she ever does become one—could never be the equal you see standing beside your daughter. They are too far apart..."

"I know. I understand but…I can't help but feel you're wrong…"

Naomi clenched her jaw and swallowed hard.

"Hiromi-sama, you say you're not afraid anymore, that you know she'll be alright…but I—I am _terrified. _How could I be anything _but_ terrified? How could I ever be sure she will be alright? She will be taken from me, taken somewhere that I won't _ever_ be able to reach. Lost to me forever.*/"

"You don't need to be afraid, Naomi-chan." Hiromi smiled sadly at her, and patted her hand,

"Their fate is their gift, I'm sure of it now."

As she left to return home, leaving her friend behind to think on her words, two pairs of eyes stared at each other from the backs of their mothers. One blue and one green, they held each other gaze and reached out across the growing crowd with chubby little hands...even as the distance between them grew by miles and their future threatened to pull them apart forever.


	2. The Coming Storm

A/N: Thank you my pretty reviewers! You delight me with your words of encouragement!

Hehe, wow that sounded oddly formal. O.o

Anyways, sorry for the wait and a big thanks to my reviewers, the people who favorited/alerted me or my story and of course to all you silently lurking people that don't do fav/alert or review and yet secretly hope my story continues…yes I know you're out there…I've been one of you on many occasions. XD

Now, onwards with the story! This one will be a lot longer than the fist as I'm sure you've noticed. Please, please tell me if you think this is too long! I'll try to shorten it up but…well there's always a theme to my chapters, so I have to write enough to get that theme across. :)

Also: I tried to make the 'future/fate' stuff very minimal because I agree with my reviewer **weaksauce **in that its better if that stuff is subtle :)

* * *

**The Coming Storm**

_"Is not the kiss the very autograph of love?"_**  
**

_ -Henry Flick_

* * *

_Inoichi smiled up at the sky, clear and blue as his daughters' eyes, content at last that things were going to be alright._

_She sat on his shoulder, giggling and tugging at his top knot in childish glee…his beautiful daughter; his meaning in life. His wife was at his side, smiling as she leaned on his unoccupied shoulder, and he knew they looked the very picture of unadulterated bliss._

_Laughter in the wind, the scent of the cherry blossoms falling slowly from above them…its fragrance permeated the court yard, and his daughter delighted in reaching up to catch the falling petals. Inoichi picked one delicate petal from his daughters' hair, but his wife took if from him and shook her head. "Leave it be." she said, looking up at him with a small knowing smile, "It'll all fix itself. Let them choose where they will fall."_

_He turned a confused look towards her, and a moment of stillness came upon the scene. A great gust of wind threw blonde tendrils about wildly in his face, but his wife's expression stayed in that same stillness that had taken the breath from his lungs. The wind swept away the fallen Sakura that littered the stone walkway, and he felt as his daughter slowly and reluctantly left his shoulder. He reached towards her retreating figure, and she stared forlornly over her shoulder. _

'_Daddy' she mouthed, but no sound came out. 'Daddy, daddy…' Over and over she seemed to say. He could do nothing but watch and say 'Ino, my daughter…' back to her, reaching and reaching and repeating 'Ino, Ino…'as she was dragged farther away from him towards the horizon ahead of her; dark with clouds and a blood red sun._

_She stopped at the gates, dark thunder rolling in from all sides, and turned fully towards him. Shadowy figures flashed up around him, blocking her view of him but not his view of her._

'_Daddy…everyone's leaving…is the party over?' _

'_Ino!'_

_Darkness had settled over them. His wife's hand clutched at his sleeve. 'So hot…why is it so hot?' she looked up to him without seeing him. 'Husband…I'm so cold inside and yet…I'm burning.'_

'_Why aren't you here?'_

'_Daddy…everyone's leaving…is the party over?'_

'…_I'm burning.'_

_He watched in horror as his wife turned her back to him, walking into the house behind him repeating '…I'm burning. I'm burning…'_

'_Daddy…everyone's leaving…is the party—' _

'_Why do you keep saying that?'_

'_Daddy…why are you leaving?'_

'_I'm not…' he looked down, surprised to see his hands covered in blood, shaking, and holding the sword his father had given him. His eyes traveled down the length of it. 'I'm not leaving…I…'_

'…_everyone's leaving me otouto...'_

_He fell to the ground, hands no longer holding the hilt of his father's sword deep in his gut. 'otouto?' he thought, as the world tilted and hazed over dangerously. He looked deliriously on as his daughter turned from him at the gates, his sword in her one hand—looking much too large for her—and in the other…a perfectly kept Sakura blossom; the only one left in the wake of wind and storm and fire._

_The tree they'd sat under lie dead now, lifeless just like his daughters eyes._

'_Leave it be. It'll all fix itself. Let them choose where they will fall…and where their seeds will regrow.'_

* * *

"Ino! Ino, wai—!"

"…Inoichi?" A tired, but concerned voice whispered to him, grounding him. "What's the matter? Did you see Ino?"

He calmed his frantic heart, lying back down on the padded futon beside his wife. "No…it was nothing. Just a dream."

"A nightmare? You've been having quite a few of those lately…"

He pressed a hand to his wife's forehead, checking her temperature as he did every time he woke from that dream. And as she did every time, his wife pushed his hand away and looked at him with concern.

"I'm going to check on Ino real quick…go back to sleep, I'll only be a minute."

"Inoichi! Wha—we need to talk about this! It's the fifth night this month!"

He ignored her, slipping on his more casual Haori of brown and black. She didn't call out to him again, for which he was thankful, but he did here her shuffling on her own robe to follow him. He didn't say anything, and neither did she, as they traversed the narrow paneled hallway that led around the main house with only one flickering lantern to guide their way. When they reached Ino's room the night guard outside her door only gave them a quick glance, having become used to the nightly visits by now, and slid the rice paper door open from his kneeled position.

Inoichi held the lantern up as he entered quietly, inspecting the room from corner to corner, floor to ceiling until his eyes fell upon the peacefully slumbering form of his daughter. He kneeled and brushed the long wisps of blond hair from her face, brushing his thumb gently across the flesh of her cheek. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss there, and when he pulled away he was trembling. He left quickly and nodded to the night guard turning away to the sound of the closing door and Ino's murmured dreams.

His wife followed behind him, sighing quietly, and he could feel her gaze fixed inquisitively on his back when he didn't turn the corner to their bedroom. He continued down the hallway until he reached his inner sanctum, the one place he felt at ease and yet the only place his nightmares always took place; the courtyard. Hiromi took her place beside him and looked up at the pale moon that cast its bright eye down on them, lighting up the night flowers.

"Tell me what has you so shaken, Husband." She sighed once again, and carefully lent her head upon his tense shoulder, "It's what I'm here for. To be the one who you can lean against, to be the one you can be vulnerable with, in a world where being vulnerable could cost you your life…"

He sagged against her, finally breaking. His wife, his shoulder, his light…how could he have thought to hide this from her? Even in his fear, he should've realized she was the only one who could ever understand this. So he told her everything, spilled himself out to her—all his fears, his worries for the future ahead of them—and rested his weary head on her shoulder trusting her with everything.

When it was over, his wife held the same worried set in her brow as he did, but there wasn't nearly as much fear. She looked off into the distance for a moment, and then said quietly, "I never told you, but I had similar dreams when I was with child."

He looked on with surprise as she continued before he could say anything, "They were not nearly as specific as yours, more of a fever dream really, but they held images of things that I had yet to see and places I had yet to go. I've always been afraid for Ino, for her future, but ultimately…I always just _knew_ that she would be alright. I…I had not thought to worry about our fate as well."

"Maybe…maybe we can change it." she only shook her head at that, and pressed her lips tighter so as to keep her sobs in.

"No…no I think all we can do is be there for her, until we meet whatever fate awaits us."

"…Then why? Why have these _dreams_? If we can't change anything…"

"Fate is cruel that way, I suppose." She laughed, her smile a bit wobbly, "Taking away the fear I held for my daughter's life, and giving me instead the fear for my own."

He gave his wife a soft kiss on the cheek, and they shared a small smile between them at some personal joke. She pressed a kiss to him as well and they said nothing more. The rest of the night was spent holding each other in the cold stillness of the dark and staring at the great leaning Sakura tree in the center of the courtyard.

* * *

Ino glanced behind her with a grin. She'd finally managed to get away from the stifling and overprotective staff that her father had follow her around all day. Honestly, her mother would only be out for a few hours in the garden so why did they need all those people to watch her? She was already seven years old; she didn't need to be looked after all the time! Really, it only made her want to get away more.

Ino laughed as she heard the servants start calling her name frantically. She'd left a note in an obvious place, so she was sure that they wouldn't send the cavalry out for her. Well…relatively sure.

Still, her escapade had put her in a good mood and she found herself skipping down the shortcut she'd discovered that led to the village. In the forest, surrounded by the smell of pine and fresh air she strolled along happily towards her destination; to the person who made all the pressure of being the heir go away…

"Sakura!"

A pink haired figure perked up from her spot hidden in the bushes as Ino spotted her. A little confused, she walked quickly to her wondering what she was doing on the outskirts of the village hiding in the _brush _of all places. She came upon her just in time to see her frantically wipe away the last traces of what Ino suspected had been tears from her cheeks.

"A-ah, Yamanaka-sama…"

"Eeeh? Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"

"But, my mom says that one of my station shouldn't be—"

"—calling the heir of the Yamanaka clan by her first name. Yes, yes I know; but really who's the one of higher station here? Doesn't your mom say that you should always obey an order given by the heir, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura wouldn't meet her eyes as she nodded, but there was a little mischievous grin on her face, "A-alright then…Ino-sama."

Ino laughed. She hadn't known any friend like Sakura—her other friends always acted so formal to her always letting her play if she asked but with a more subdued attitude. She knew now that the reason for it was likely due to their parents telling them to do so; that she was their superior and needed to be treated with respect.

But Sakura…she had been the first to ever act so natural so _open_ around Ino. Even when she began calling her 'Yamanaka-sama' a year ago, it only took a quick reminder every once in a while and she'd be back to calling her 'Ino-sama' again. Now, a year later, it was more a routine greeting than anything else. She still hoped that someday she'd get Sakura to exchange the '-sama' for a '-chan' suffix; like how all the other kids used but...she huffed.

_Well…I'll get her there eventually._

"Anyways! Sakura-chan…" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her ducked face, "were you crying before I got here?"

She suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "No, I w-wasn't I just…Um…Yamana—I mean Ino-sama…is there a reason you're dressed like that?"

"Hm? Ah! You mean like a peasant? Well, it's the only way I could get away from those annoying servants that were following me…Besides, this is much more comfortable than those constrictive elaborate kimono's I always have to wear anyways!"

"Eh? But…I'd give anything to dress in one of your Kimono's! They're so beautiful and elegant and…" she sighed dreamily.

"Well…we can always arrange that but—seriously, no changing the subject! Why were you crying? I thought we were over that, I mean, the last time I found you crying in the bushes was the first time we met over a year ago. Did someone tease you again?"

She finally had her cornered, and Sakura knew it. She sighed and relented, whispering, "Mother and Father were fighting again."

"Did he…" She struggled with her anger for a moment, "…did he hit you again?"

Sakura only turned her face and looked as if she was about to deny it, but the movement brought Ino's gaze to her neck and the lively bruises decorating it.

"That…That—!" And with that Ino proceeded to use every dirty, insulting, sailor worthy curse she'd ever heard the servants whisper (hey, they were good for something at least) to describe him and how she would mutilate him. Sakura's ears were burning by the end of it—she hadn't even heard her father say some of those things!

"I-Ino-sama!"

"Well he is! And, please, if you're about to spout the whole 'inappropriate-for-a-young-lady-to-say-such-things' spiel just save it! I'm too angry to laugh at the ineffectiveness of that speech right now…"

"I wasn't going to…I just…Thank you, Ino-chan."

Ino stopped the angry pacing she had begun—saving the poor shrubs from a thorough stomping into the ground—and stared in shock at her friend. "You just called…"

Sakura fiddled a little but stared up at Ino with a smile despite her nervous demeanor. "Ino-ch-chan…" she said again, smiling and blushing so cutely that Ino just wanted to go over there and glomp her to death.

A self-satisfied smile overtook Ino's small face, feeling an odd tickle in her stomach and a pressure in her chest at the familiar term added to her name. "But—umm, hah—" she cleared her throat, "But why are you thanking me? I can't do anything but _talk_ about pummeling the guy..."

"No, even just doing that is enough. No one's ever…stood up for me like you do. No one's ever cared enough to…And that's why that even when he does…when he does hit me, I don't cry; because I know I have you, and you always tell me to be stronger!"

"Then…you weren't crying because of him?"

"No, I…" Again, she went back to that little girl Ino had first met, crying and vulnerable as she crouched in the bushes, "I was crying because I was afraid that someday I _wouldn't _have you. That you'd get sick of me and not want to be around me any more…"

"Sakura-chan…how could I ever get sick of you?" The idea seemed so odd to Ino, so completely impossible that her young mind couldn't even comprehend the idea. Since that first time she'd seen her, Ino had never felt anything but a want to keep her around, keep Sakura by her side so she could protect her—she'd never questioned that feeling, because it had just always been there. She hadn't once thought of being without her, sure she teased her a lot but…really even the thought now made her a little frightened that it would happen.

How could she show her how much she meant to her?

"…You're the best best friend I've ever had, you know?"

"I know Ino-chan, you're the best best friend I've ever had too."

"Pfft. Um, I'm the _only _best friend you've ever had."

"Nuh uh! Maybe back then you were, but I've made tons of friends now! Which as I remember you got all grumpy and jealous about too; your face looked like you'd just eaten a huge ball of wasabi or something…"

"WHAT! No I did NOT!"

"Yes you did! It was so funny, you were all troll faced and huffy for _days!_" She laughed, and Ino smiled despite herself, glad for the lightened atmosphere.

"That was just 'cuz I…I'd eaten a really hot pepper and—Oh, whatever, okay I was jealous…"

"Mmhm…That's what I thought."

Ino huffed, but gave up and laughed with her after a moment. _A smiling Sakura is always the best…but it's even better when she's all cute and blushing._ She thought briefly and, in her innocence, she didn't even consider it a little strange when she reached over and kissed her best friend softly on the cheek.

Just like she suspected, Sakura gave her hair color a run for its money with how pink her face got.

"Hehe, there! Now we really will be together forever."

"E-eh?"

"Well, Daddy told me that when he met mom…within minutes he never wanted to leave her, that he could never get sick of her. He said he went up to mom, kissed her on the cheek, told her he wanted to be with her forever and that, if she felt the same way, to kiss him on the cheek too. She did, and does, every morning…so I thought I'd do the same thing."

Looking at the wooden face of her friend she actually began to squirm a little. Should she…not have done it? She shifted nervously, about to voice her concerns to her silent friend—or maybe just laugh the whole thing away—when suddenly Sakura grabbed her wrist.

"Then…" a nervous but steady voice, and then Sakura was leaning forward and giving her a peck on her cheek.

Now they were both blushing, but Ino quickly covered her by laughing. She reached forward and tackled Sakura to the ground, tickling her until Sakura too started laughing. "You sneaky little—you almost had me thinking about apologizing! Geez, did you have to wait so long?"

Ino pressed another kiss to her forehead, and gave her a cheeky grin. Sakura returned it, along with a reciprocating kiss to her tickling attacker's forehead.

Ino glared a little then, planting another one on her cheek; determined to be the last one to kiss. Sakura, in response, glared back and reached up to give Ino another smooch too; but Ino leapt up before she could, racing away from her and laughing as she went.

"Ino-chan! C'mon, I wanna make it even!"

"Hah! Not unless you can catch me Sakura-chaaaan! And we all know that's not gonna happen with that huge forehead slowing you down!"

"Ugh! Ino-chan, can't you let me win anything?"

Ino quickly turned and grabbed Sakura's cheeks between her thumb and forefingers, "Nope! Mmmwah!"

"Ack!" She rubbed her pinched cheeks and wiped at the intentionally messy kiss mark, "Ugh, it's not fair when I can't even insult you back!"

"And why can't you? Just 'cuz I'm heir?" Sakura gave her a 'well, duh!' look, and Ino hummed thoughtfully, "Well…when were all alone, and only if it's you, then…I give you permission to insult me. Though really, what is there to insult? I'm perfect!"

Sakura scoffed at that comment and jumped to tackle her but only just managed to grab her foot. Ino fell flat on her face and, as she rolled over with a groan, she scrunched up her nose in pain. Sakura burst out laughing at the face, and Ino gave an indignant "What?"

She stared down at the girl still holding her ankle as she, a little hesitantly, whispered something too quiet for Ino to hear. "What?"

Sakura cleared her throat, a nervous habit of hers, and loudly declared, "I said, 'Ino-Pig!' You looked like a Piggy, Ino-Pig!"

"Ino-Pig? Wha—! I take it back! You can't insult me, not ever, ever, ever!"

"Hah! It's too late Ino-Pig, you're stuck with it now!"

* * *

As his wife tended to the extensive garden in the courtyard, and the servants searched fervently for his daughter (who he had no doubt they would eventually find, as they always did. He was used to her crazy escape artist ventures by now, and also quite used to hearing the quite colorful language the servants always seemed to spout once she'd succeeded in one of them) the head of the household found himself in the middle of a meeting with the heads of the two other samurai clans under his lord.

He nodded to the two arriving figures of his friends, welcoming but solemn. "It isn't often that we all gather like this…what's the occasion?" He left unsaid that the only other time this had happened had been after the death of the lord they had served before Uchiha Fugaku.

"Yes, It's been a long time Inoichi-san…nearly seven years." Shiki, Head of the Nara clan and known for his clan's strategic expertise.

"It's good to have the old gang back together again isn't it? Letters can only do so much!" And Chouza, Head of the Akimichi clan known for their brute strength.

"Well, it depends on what the news that brings us together is, I suppose…"

The two Heads of clan looked at each other and smiled, something rare during days like these, "I'm relieved to tell you that the news is indeed only of the good variety, then!"

The Yamanaka looked on with interest, his heart lightening somewhat.

"I'm sure you remember the events from seven years ago. Our failure to protect our lord from political hatchings…"

Of course he remembered. Every time he watched his daughter he wondered on what could have possibly been done differently to change what had happened. What he could possibly do now to stop it from happening again. He wanted it to end; for that growing cloud of political unrest to dissipate before it reached the lives of the people he cared most for…

But really, that wasn't possible anymore was it? Because he'd already failed to stop it when he'd watched that man die, seven years ago.

That man who everyone heralded as the right hand of the emperor, the greatest military power to ever grace Konoha, the one man who had taken back the many lands lost to the surrounding countries in the wake of the Third Great War...Minato Namikaze. The lord who he had vowed to serve.

He'd been watching his country slowly die since that day, so many years ago, when a greater man than the emperor himself had fallen and left a country only just beginning to rebuild, in the hands of a man sure to break it all over again.

And he had done nothing to stop it.

"Yes." He settled on just saying that, not able to say anything else without it becoming an out pouring of guilt like many of their letters to each other had become. "There was nothing we could have done all those years ago."

How could he have? How could he have risked his life, his clan to go and kill that man who's power now had even sunk its teeth into the thrown itself? It would've been a suicide mission, even with all three of his fallen lords clans put together—the Akimichi, the Nara, and the Yamanaka—it wouldn't have been enough to stop the bloodshed he had caused. His death would've only made him a martyr, and they and their families traitors.

His friends had agreed of course. They could not regard this matter indelicately and go in swords drawn to avenge their lord's death. So they had bowed and mourned and hadn't argued when Fugaku's clan was given their lords lands…but they hadn't been complacent either.

They knew of his wife, and they knew she would be killed as soon as she was discovered to be with child. Any heir to Minato would have an automatic death sentence placed upon its head, and so they had smuggled her out of Konoha—out of the land of fire even—not only for her safety, but for the safety of her unborn child. More than ten months later…the news of her death reached the eastern lands. She had been found drowned, drifting down the river; an 'accident.' The one thing that had given him hope however, is the fact that the report had said nothing about a child found with her.

"No, we couldn't have done anything," Shiki agreed, "But now…now we have a chance to change things."

Chouza nodded, "Seven years ago we failed our lord…but it seems we did not completely fail his heir."

He looked up in shock. "Naruto? He's still alive?"

* * *

"Do you remember when we first met, Sakura-chan?"

They lay in the grass now, exhausted and more than a little sweaty from their game of chase. Ino grabbed Sakura's hand despite the heat, their arms pressed up against each other's as they had stared up at the clouds calling out the various animals they could see.

'_Hey, aren't you that Forehead Girl?'_

_Sakura only sobbed harder._

'_Oh geez, no need to get so worked up about it! It's just a name, you can't let something like that bother you. If you do that, they'll only call you it more. Those guys are jerks, I've seen them around a lot…they like to tease girls and make them cry just for the fun of it, those jerks…'_

Seeing Sakura nod with a cute toothy grin, she continued, "And do you remember what I gave you?"

"O-Of course! It's right here…I always wear it, no matter what. And at night, I hide it where even mother can't find it!'

'_So those idiots were picking on you because of your forehead, right? Well…that's easily fixed!'_

'_I-it is?'_

'_Yeah, it really only looks so big because you cover it up like that silly. Makes you look like a sheep dog!' (1)_

_She reached up to her own pulled back hair and pulled the small decorated comb from her hair, 'Here, if you just push your bangs back like this…'_

_Sakura touched the little comb that parted her bangs, pulling the middle up but letting the rest hang down and frame her face, 'D-does it look smaller?'_

_Ino nodded, 'You look really pretty now!'_

_She blushed, 'B-but your comb…'_

'_It's okay, it's my favorite but…I know you'll take good care of it. And it looks so good on you so…'_

"And then, a few days later, you came back and gave me your comb. I remember…they were so similar, that my mom didn't even realize my original hairpiece had been switched with yours…"

"Ino-chan…how come you're bringing this up?"

Ino frowned and shrugged, "I don't know, but…don't you think it's an odd coincidence?"

"I guess but…" Ino gave her a questioning look at her hesitation, "It's just that…I don't see you wearing it all that often…so I thought you'd forgotten about it honestly. Not that it bothers me that you don't wear it! Really, its no—"

"Sakura-chan! Hah, geez, you're just full of confessions today aren't you?" She let go of her friends hand to reach into her kimono and pulled out the small decorated comb Sakura had given her, "I don't wear it all that often because I have to wear the ones Daddy gets for me too, or else he'd think I didn't like his presents, but…I always keep the one you gave to me right here."

She smiled brightly up at Ino, then swept in and pecked her; straight on the lips this time. Her friend was so shocked; she barely registered when Sakura grinned toothily and said, "I win! Hehe…"

As she regained herself she smirked and readied herself to pounce but then stopped cold. A shiver passed up her spine and a shadow fell over them, the deep chuckling voice forcing all the blood from Sakuras' face.

"What, ye'll give kisses te some neighborhood girl but not te yer own father?"

A hand reached down and took hold of Sakura's wrist, wrenching it painfully away from Ino's grip. "C'mere sweetheart, give papa a kiss. He's had a long day."

His breath smelt as if his 'long day' had consisted of beer drinking contests and cigar smoking, so strong even the horrified Ino could smell it from three feet away. Sakura turned her face away at the last second and his sloppy kiss landed wetly on her cheek. It was nothing like the soft quick kisses Ino had teasingly placed on her cheek all evening long and, instead of butterflies settling in her stomach, she felt only disgust and fear settle there.

"Ungrateful brat…" he murmured in dissatisfaction as he slapped her upside the head. "I work all day to put food on the table for you, and all you do is leech leech leech and turn away from your own father! I'll teach you a lesson on showing gratitude when we get home!"

As he began dragging her down the hill, drawing a yelp of pain from the little girl, Ino stood from her horror stricken place and went to rush after them. Sakura turned just as she started to run, and shook her head frantically. Then she turned back to her father and tried to keep up with his long strides, leaving Ino behind to stare helplessly.

Her knees collapsed from beneath her, and she landed heavily on the soft grass of the hill overlooking the town. She watched her friend be dragged away from her as clouds began to shadow their descent down the hill.

She shivered in trepidation as the thunder rolled in, and wondered when lightning would strike.

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's it for this chapter.

I used the word 'kiss' way too many times in this chapter, like 14 times in only a few paragraphs haha...oh well, it was needed XD. besides, who could ever get sick of the word 'kiss'? And plus-besides the obvious reasons why such a word is awesome-it has the added bonus of being an awesome band that re-defined the way people see face paint! Not only for clowns now kids! Its for rock stars too!

so...yeah...do face paint not drugs! hehe

As always, I'm always open to critics and wish to better my writing. Tell me if I got the theme across well enough in this chapter: which is obviously supposed to go along with the quote at the beginning of the chapter. :D

Oh and…was the smooching scene too creepy? I don't know, I thought it was a funny image to imagine sakura and ino chasing each other around with kisses like some kind of battle for who can get the last kiss in haha.

Also...they're seven at this time...I don't have like ANY experience with kids so I really have no idea if I made them too 'adultish' Please tell me if i did!

No, there will NOT be any rape. Because she has to stay a virgin to become a geisha (number one) and also because…well, my heart can't take stuff like that (number two).

(1) That was from the anime. The sheep dog thing anyway.


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